Northwestern student groups are eligible to receive more than $1,000 per quarter for co-sponsoring diversity events — but many groups do not even know this money is available.

NUnite — formed in spring 2003 by the Center for Student Involvement — provides up to $1,200 per quarter for events that promote diversity on campus.

“It’s a great way to get money, and I don’t think a lot of people know about it,” said Shealyn Rentschler, the center’s coordinator of student organizations and organizational development.

Since NUnite began, four events received funding, but no student groups have applied for money to use this quarter, Rentschler said.

To be eligible for the money, student groups who never have worked together must co-sponsor the event. The groups must also plan out an approximate budget and give initial details as well as prove the event’s worth to students.

The center’s staff decides which applicants receive the money, which comes from the center’s operating budget, Rentschler said.

Rentschler said the goal of NUnite is to give student groups a chance to “get out of comfort zones” by collaborating with groups they have not interacted with before.

“You need to learn how to work together,” said Rentschler, adding that NUnite teaches groups how to work on large-scale programming and bridges gaps between student groups.

Rentschler said NUnite is ideal for groups designated as T- and B-status by the Associated Student Government. Such groups do not receive funding from the Student Activities Fee.

Persian American Representatives of Students was a B-status group when it co-sponsored its Persian New Year event with the Middle Eastern Students Association last April.

Hossein Mirheydar, Persian American Representatives of Students’ former president, said the group applied for NUnite money to fulfill its goal of sponsoring a campus event and received $800.

“It was a fairly easy application,” said Mirheydar, McCormick ’04. “(The money) catapulted us into the realm of (A-status organizations). Without the Persian New Year, we would not have had a major event to reflect on PARS (for A-status).”

NUnite money also allowed Special Olympics to “go all out” for its co-sponsored Developmental Disability Day, said Emily Lewington, a former co-volunteer coordinator for Special Olympics.

The day, also held last April, brought Special O athletes to NU’s campus for a carnival. Lewington said the involvement of different student groups — Greek Intervarsity, the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and the Multicultural Center Advisory Board — contributed to more students learning about disabilities.

“We reached out to other groups that may normally not be involved,” said Lewington, Weinberg ’04. “They had a great experience.”

NUnite funds contributed to two other events held last year, Rentschler said. Last November, For Members Only and Arts Alliance joined to bring KRS-1 and the Def Jam Poets to campus. The South Asian Student Alliance and Om, the Hindu Students Council, co-sponsored an April conference on Hinduism.

For some student groups, NUnite money is crucial to pay for an event, Rentschler said. And in the case of the Persian New Year, NUnite money meant the event could take place.

Said Mirheydar, “Without the support of NUnite, we would not have been able to hold the event.”

Reach Angela Tablac at [email protected].

Quick facts:

 Student groups can apply to receive as much as $1,200 per quarter from NUnite if leaders want to

co-sponsor events with other groups.

 NUnite, formed by the Center for Student Involvement, uses funding to promote group collaboration.

 Only four groups have taken advantage of this

funding since the program began in spring 2003, and no groups have applied so far this quarter.